Learn About Relatives as a Super Sleuth
The holidays are a great chance for children to learn about family culture. However, surrounded by faces they don’t see often, it may be intimidating to strike up a conversation. Sometimes a little helpful nudge is all they need to be more engaged. Encourage them to mingle and learn their family history by having them become super sleuths! The set up is super simple. In fact, older children can get involved to engage with their relatives too.
Materials
Directions
Cut strips of paper into inch-and-a-half strips, leaving enough space to write on them.
Distribute strips of paper to family members and ask them to write down a fact about themselves. If they have difficulty with coming up with a fact, ask them to write down the year they graduated from school, their favorite color, a favorite childhood memory, favorite book, etc.
Use the strips as napkin rings at the children’s table. Fold them around the napkins and tape them in place. If you have more strips than place settings, place extra strips in a vase or sprinkle them around the table.
Tell the children they’ve all been appointed super sleuths and need to interview guests to match up the presented facts with the correct person.
After dinner, set them loose! Once they’ve discovered who matches which fact, ask the children what they discovered. Do they have anything in common with their relatives? Were they surprised by anything?
Jennifer Cooper is the blogger behind Classic-Play.com, an online resource for creative families. Her favorite pastimes include: dancing around her living room, watching the Pink Panther with her kids and daydreaming. She lives in Baltimore, MD with her husband, photographer Dave Cooper, and two children.
Emotions & Self-Awareness
Social Skills
Character- Activity Type
- Craft
- Topics